Seraph Slayers
by Asherah
Summary: Midori didn't know how to make them understand. Princess Midori had fallen in love with one of them...
1. Chapter 1

Midori sat amongst the group of royal guests, her father at the head of the long, fancy dinner table and the guests sitting down patiently. If the meeting would have been about politics and such, Midori would have never set foot inside of that room, but it was about war. Her father knew she would never leave until she had heard the news, and though he had tried to ask her to leave calmly, Midori's refusal would look embarrassing to the guests.  She looked beautiful amid the other princesses, but her beauty was more captivating than that of all the two other princesses.  Her raven-colored curly hair was set loosely down her back, and large but gorgeous emerald eyes' watching her father's every move. Little did she know that there was someone watching her back with passion. "The problem with these people is the fact that they're savages! Roaming round wherever they want, and never giving a damn about whose cattle they slaughter, or who's daughter they take for ransom, or even worse, as a wife!" 

"Who are they Father?" Midori's voice spoke out as an appealing blessing to those who could listen, and even the deaf seemed to have this stroke of luck. "Are they really savages? I thought they were only the natives that were living far off in the Azure Fields." "Those fields are not theirs! We have every right to claim them for our own!" One of the other princesses exclaimed from another seat. Midori looked at the face of the stranger, not as tall as she was, and not as charming either. Her eyes were small and dark, like the sky with few stars shining. And her hair came in a black, shiny downpour to her shoulders. "No, and now I'm supposing that you're part of that rich family. The one who's planning to build an empire in the Azure fields?" 

"Yes I am, and that empire will be one of the greatest after we have cleared away all of those savages!" The girl answered, glaring at Midori with stern eyes. Then she turned to her own father, King Goro. "Haven't we come here to plead for help? To rid our future empire from that curse of those roaming, foul smelling savage's father?" She asked with tenderness. King Goro smiled, "Yes Kurai," then he turned back to Midori's father and the rest of the people. "Haven't we all had enough of them? They are the primary source of our failure in building this and many other empires. I believe that nothing good could ever come from a clan like that, and that's why, with your help Isamu, I know we'll be rid of all of them before summer begins." "What?! This is ludicrous! How can you ever think of prying people out of their native lands?" Midori cried out. "We would be disgracing ourselves as human beings! And more over as the chosen ones of the Gods! King Goro, I beg of you to change your opinion." A sudden stir of commotion broke out between the conversations of the guests, and everyone turned from Midori to King Isamu, realizing that even though they were father and daughter, their differences were very much conspicuous. "Enough! A Princess is to be silent with no actions in government! Those are the Kings grounds, and nothing else!" King Isamu thundered, and his voice quickly hushed the whispering guests. He had suddenly sprang up from the head of the table, and he pulled his seat back and sat, watching Midori give a strong but quick glare as she pushed back her seat and left without a word. 

"Midori!" The third princess called out, and she too sprang up from her seat and dashed after her with everyone calling her back, " Miyako!"  The girl wasn't in any shape to represent an athlete, but she ran as fast as she could, until she came out of breath and stopped, clutching her chest and resting against a wall running through into the entrance room. Midori heard gasps, and she looked back to find Miyako looking back at her with a painful expression. "Miyako! I'm so sorry!" Midori exclaimed, halting and turning back to her. "I didn't mean to run away so fast," Miyako looked back at her smiling, "I shouldn't have run so quickly myself, it's ok. I'm alright now." Miyako helped herself up and walked along side of Midori. The castle seemed empty as they walked up the large staircase that led to Midori's room. Inside, Midori helped Miyako take a seat on her bed. "Thanks," Miyako answered. "You sure look upset about that Azure Fields thing. Why do you care about them anyway?" Midori took a seat on a chair that had been discarded across the room and dragged it to a fitting distance between Miyako. 

"Who wouldn't?" Midori answered.

"I wouldn't, but it's not what you think. I really don't like them at all, no, oh I don't know." Miyako sighed, pushing back strands of her blonde hair and laying back on Midori's bed. "What I'm trying to get out is that I really do agree with you. When you talk about it, it really seems like King Goro is making a big mistake and really is misunderstanding the Azurians. But when your father says it, sometimes I feel like he's also right, that we need to expand our empire now that the population is growing even if it means throwing them out," "No!" Midori exclaimed. "Nothing that my father says is right! It might sound like something disrespectful, but I can't always agree with my father. Let them come here if they wish! I wouldn't mind seeing him, I mean, them," Midori suddenly grew wide-eyed, Miyako's   presence filling the atmosphere with tension. "Wait Midori," Miyako said seriously, rising from the bed and trying to catch Midori's moving eyes. "Midori look at me! You said 'him', you saw one of them didn't you? Didn't you!" "Shush! Please, don't say a word! Promise?" Midori began to plead desperately in a whisper. "Which one did you see?" Miyako asked with curious excitement springing through her voice. "Promise!" Midori cried. "Alright! Cross my heart and hope to die." Miyako sighed, leaning closer to hear her response. Midori gave an uneasy sigh before she herself leaned in. "Ok, I don't know his name, and I had no social contact with him." Midori began. "Where did you see him?" Miyako asked with a wide smile on her face. "Was he cute? 'Cause most of the Azurians are made up of males, that's what I've heard," Midori smiled back and held Miyako's excited, trembling hands, "Wait! Yes, he was absolutely a dream! I saw him, for only a short while, when I left for Sayuri's house. There was about three other guys with him, I think he was the youngest, and of course the cutest!" Midori squeaked. "Really? There were _three along with him?" Miyako squeaked back. "Yeah, they were alright looking I guess, but he caught my attention the most because he looked _straight at me_." Miyako clasped her small, smooth hands onto her mouth, "Just how close were you to them?" "Pretty close, actually, I was kind of trying to get even closer." Miyako's eyes lit up with worry, "They could have attacked you! Or killed you, or made you into one of their wives!" _

Midori burst out in laughter. "I wish he had!" "Midori, that's not funny." Miyako said, sighing again and clearing her throat, "They were Azurians, get it?" Midori frowned, "No. I don't." She scratched the top of her head with an uncomforting feeling inside of her. "You still agree with my father, just admit it Miyako," She said, turning back to her. "Midori, no." Miyako answered gloomily. "Sometimes," "Sometimes best friends can disagree with each other." Midori finished for her, not exactly the same thought, but close enough. They sat, looking at each other through silence, but no words to comfort it all. Midori finally stood up and left the room, "Midori, I'm sorry! Midori!" Miyako called, but with little triumph. 

"I'll never get this through their heads!" Midori thought as she scampered outside the castle, past the gates and out into the green fields that grew on the outskirts of her father's castle. "Azurians are nothing to fear," she said, finally daring to recite her thoughts aloud. "They're all just misunderstood. God! We look at them as animals, even talk about them as animals!" She finally stopped and stared out into the open, lush fields. The soil bursting with richness, the mountains to the west a pale green, and watching it all was a clear, setting sun that painted the color one more shade of red every minute as it sank into the horizon. "He might even be like me." She said softly, crossing her arms and remembering his face. "Who might be like you? I don't see anyone around here but us," Midori turned to see Kurai's sharp, serious face again. "No one." Midori answered, her face turning serious and cold too. "You know your hiding something from me, maybe your father as well. Midori, don't even try to hide anything from me," Kurai stated with her tone of voice rising even more harshly with every syllable. Grabbing Midori's folded hand, she pulled her back close to her face, "because I will find out." Then, she thrust her back and let her fall onto the darkening grasses. Midori's anger conducted her hand to fly behind her back, withdrawing a silver scalpel, a bit longer than the normal size. "Good move Midori," Kurai answered with a chuckle, and she too withdrew a weapon. But as soon as Kurai's weapon was revealed, Midori was forced to stop, and her enrage was calmed. Kurai swayed the even longer sharp, metal sword close to Midori's face, and even once striking gently her shoulder. 

"I hope you know that I'm sweetly savoring this moment Midori." Kurai taunted, still swaying the sword in circles. "At this very moment, you are one, no, a million steps below me! Compare yourself to me, because you are nothing. Though I do wish I could have the sweet pleasure of ramming this into your heart right about now," "Go right ahead you bich." Midori answered suavely, and she thrust down her dagger so it pierced the soil once it struck the ground. "Right through the heart, it's an open shot." Kurai swung the sword upwards in a silvery flash, but as she began to create the death match for her opponent, Midori kicked up her right leg and jammed it into Kurai's stomach, the sword falling through the empty space between them. Grabbing the falling arm, she captured it in her secure grip and slashed it down, down where Kurai had fallen. "Ah!" Kurai gasped, and she rolled herself over before her once reliable weapon turned against her by force and stabbed the soil she had lay upon. As soon as Kurai had gotten a safe distance, she flew up and saw that Midori had already reacted and was beginning to jab with the most amazing fury she had ever seen.

At once, all Kurai could do besides pray for herself, was smile. With a tense decrease in her movements, Midori was confused with her smiling face. "Why are you smiling?" Midori questioned. "You can't kill me, you're too afraid to do so," Kurai answered. "At least that's what I see, since you haven't really even harmed me." "Is that so!" Midori cried. "Once ticket to hell is what you want and what you'll get!" And suddenly, Kurai was paralyzed, not knowing why; she looked down and saw a silver blade had penetrated through a small portion on her shoulder. She looked up weakly as she grasped the sword and painfully drove it out, her body falling to the floor. She threw it at Midori's feet, and kept pressing her hands onto the wound. "Guess hell is the only remaining heaven for you Kurai," Midori said, and up over her shoulder the sword flew, ready to strike. 

**"Aaaaeeeiiii!!!"       **

All at once, the most frightening scream ever heard shot out through the bare fields, and Midori looked up in horror to find four horses and their riders storming towards them, mainly her since Kurai wasn't too visible. She gasped, and lowered her sword just in time to escape injury, but not in time to escape capture. The rider's hand scooped her up and she suddenly found her senses bouncing along with the wild ride she had been put upon. "Hey! Damn you, let go!" She screamed, and took the risk of looking at the stranger. But it had been a mistake, the eyes she looked upon froze her mind and her eyes almost stretched twice their size. The rider was just as surprised as she was. His face was masked over, and his eyes were slightly visible, but Midori wouldn't be taken prisoner. She lifted the sword and slashed some part of the rider that suddenly without warning, her stomach sank in as she fell dangerously to the ground. Midori got onto her knees and looked up. 

"Oh my god," She gasped; her sight was almost unbelievable as she watched the three other riders galloping straight towards the open gates of her castle. Luckily, the two guards that watched over the entrance had run up to fight. But the horsemen rode past them, slicing them with their own weapons and galloping even closer to the castle. "Stop!" Midori screamed. Eleven more guards trooped into the entrance, and Midori felt relief when she saw all the horsemen turn over their horses and begin to gallop in a different direction, the way they had first come. A sweeping shiver made her look over her shoulder, and she watched as the fourth rider disappeared along with them. "Midori, Midori! MIDORI!" Kurai screamed her name almost hysterically. Midori paid no attention, but a thought suddenly past her mind. Grabbing the sword, she ran back to where Kurai was now sitting up and threw her the sword, then bent down and smacked the side of her head with a powerful clap. Kurai fell unconscious at once. 

"That should take care of her," She said, sprinting back to the castle and gliding past the guards. "Father!" She exclaimed as she ran through the entrance room and into the dining room. "Midori? Is Kurai with you?" King Isamu said. He turned from King Goro and grew rather pale as she explained him the terrible accident. "Oh my sweet Kurai!" King Goro cried when he heard the news. "See why we need your protection!" He exclaimed. King Isamu glared at him, "We need our own protection for ourselves! Besides, I won't risk any of my soldiers for your kingdom! The deal is off." King Goro was stunned by his answer, "To hell with you all!" He said, stomping furiously out of the room.   


	2. Chapter 2

That night, Miyako had planned to stay with Midori for a night. The two had said goodnight to King Isamu, and crept up quietly to Midori's room. When Midori had finally shut and locked the door, she ran to her bed and pulled the covers over her body. "Come on already! I'm so anxious to know about what happened!" Miyako squealed from the bed opposite of Midori's. "Ok," Midori smiled. "I think, you know the guy who caught me?" Miyako nodded quickly. "Well, ready for this?" Midori asked. "YES! Just tell me!" Miyako almost screamed. "Well, I think it was _him_." "Oh no, you mean _him? That __him? The _him _who you saw!" "Yes! I remember, his eyes blue as the sea and really clear and attractive too. And his hair was this awesome sandy blonde color. I wish I knew his name though!" Midori sighed. "Yeah, it would be so cool if he had a twin brother!" Miyako squealed. "No it wouldn't. That would be horrible," Midori answered with a frown, "Not an _exact _twin, maybe just a brother, but not a twin. I guess so, but it would be so cool if we actually ended up seeing them here! Not doing damage of course."_

 Miyako gasped, "Don't even say it! He might look as hot as you describe him, but remember he's a, you know…" "An Azurian?" Midori asked, the frown still on her face. "I'm telling you Miyako, they aren't bad! I'd love to join them…" 

"You must be insane, and now if you'd allow me to, but I'm going to sleep before I start thinking the way you do!" Miyako said, shifting to her right side and tossing the covers over her head. Midori turned over too so that she was lying on her back, staring at the little dots created in her eyes by the darkness of the room. "I wonder where he is right now." Midori thought, and suddenly her whole body was warm. "I might not know him, nor his name, but I sure would like to see him again." 

The night was colder than regular ones, but if it was for the benefit of a successful future empire, Kurai was determined to stay all night. "You know the orders, watch out for those savages. See one, and fire! Blow that savage up! Understand?" Seven rough, male voices answered, and they carried on their shoulders long rifles and strolled out into the Azure Fields. Kurai stepped back near the small fire, her dark eyes viewing all around her before she made herself comfortable on a log around the fire. "And you," She said aloud softly, clutching the future flag of her empire, "will be safe here with me. Ah!" She suddenly gave a wail of pain and pressed her right hand onto the side of her shoulder. "Damn that Midori!" She cursed, "What happened after she struck me? God, I don't remember." The fire flickered calmly as she tossed in dirt and watched it blaze up the fire. "That weird call must have been Midori's stupid victory cry! Damn her!"

Farther north from the small campsite created by the Princess Kurai, the little clan of horsemen had brought along some other friends, around twenty-three other Azurians. "Let's go see if any women are amongst them, they aren't that many and we could kill 'em all off if there ain't any!" One of them suggested, as he looked enthusiastically at two of his other comrades. "We'll go, come on." The leader grunted, and with an ear-piercing whistle, they all started off, the rest of the clan clamoring after them.

**"Aaaaeeeiiii!!!"       **

"That scream! Midori's here!" Kurai exclaimed, and still holding the flag she jumped up and called out to her soldiers. They all came obediently, but suddenly grew as timid as mice when they all saw the storm of thundering horses pounding towards them. "What the heck is that?" Kurai asked and stood in front of the cowards. She strained her eyes in the darkness of the night, finally declaring, "Wait, that isn't Midori," Kurai said lightly. "It's the Azurians! Fire!" Even before she had finished, most of the soldiers had already begun to run for their dear lives, knowing they were no match. "Damn it, give me that!" Kurai grumbled, looking back at the idiots running for their lives, sort of wishing she were amongst them, and grabbing one of the braver one's rifles. "Aim, aim! And fire!" She screamed, but the trembling in her fingers shook the rifle's shot out of control missing her target. The leader beat past her and slaughtered one of the remaining soldiers. One of them was still coming towards her, and try as she might, her shots seemed to miss him every time. "Impossible!" She exclaimed finally throwing down the rifle and running after the idiots. "This is so not good! Hate these freaks!" She muttered as she ran. "Smelly, mud licking, sweat drinking…AH!" Her words were cut, and so was her right cheek as she felt one of them fly past her, swing, and then a stinging, wild force on her right cheek. She fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her head as the whole fleet of Azurians and their horses trampled past her like a cyclone. The rough screams of the seven men all were heard at an almost uniform time. "Hey, wait!" Kurai screamed into the night. The seven men were all dead on the ground, and the flag on the top of her pole had been snapped off. 

"They're heading back to father's camp!" She cried, and grabbing one of the remaining rifles, sprang after them. Luckily, but sadly enough, the camp wasn't too far away from where they had settled that night. "Father! Father!" She screamed, watching the storm of horses stomping towards the few tents resting in a small area. "Run faster, run faster…run as AH!" Her voice was trailed off as she tripped and fell on her face, "FATHER!" One of the horsemen riding close to the back of the clan ignited a firearm, and from it came a loud explosion before the arm rocketed towards one of the tents. It flashed with a fiery light before colliding with a tent. "No, stop this now!" Kurai shrieked. She picked herself up quickly and grabbed the rifle, and after aiming at the whole cloud of dust, she fired. One of the horsemen came down and two of them turned back to see her running to them, the rifle ready for another shot. The two horsemen turned back to her and shot out more of the explosions, causing Kurai to lose her balance and fall to the ground once more. "I'll never get there in time!" The Horsemen had finally reached the tents and most of them were circling around each of them, driving out the soldiers inside and sending them into chaos. 

"What the…what's going on?" King Goro lifted up the piece of cloth that was covering the entrance from his tent. "Sir! The Azurians, they came!" One of the soldiers yelled from outside. King Goro immediately ran out, watching the hellish scene of burning fire all around the tents, soldiers running from tent to tent, searching for security but finding none. Most of the soldiers tried fighting back, but the Azurian's weapons had for once proven to be more powerful than the rifles. "Father! I'm so sorry, but my soldiers weren't able to drive them off!" Kurai exclaimed as she ran up to King Goro. "This is insane, how are they able to have such powerful weapons?" "Father, look! They're leaving!" Kurai told him. King Goro stepped past some of the injured corpses on the floor, "That's it, General Nori. Tomorrow, I want you and some soldiers to track those savages down, bring your best explosions and rifles. Shoot every one of those bastards!"


	3. Chapter 3

The woman with luminous, straight red hair stood alone in the fields, her arms folded across her chest and the wind slowly wiping her wine red dress against her ankles. Midori had heard that the Azurian Fields were absolutely wonderful, but this was more enchanting than she had imagined them to be. "What are you doing out here? I sent for your father, not you," The woman turned and watched as Midori came to her. "My father won't be staying with me much longer, so this is all I could do for him now. Don't think that because I'm young that I can't run an empire," Midori began, but the woman's pale brown eyes tightened her throat and silenced her. "Your father _will_ go soon. This is exactly what I had predicted would happen. The camp is a ruin, and you didn't help. Midori, we need your help in ridding them all from here." The woman said calmly, turning back to the black, burned site that had once been a camp for Goro's soldiers. "But this isn't any of my business! King Goro should be able to supply himself with his own soldiers! What is he receiving? Ship loads of cowards with toy rifles?" Midori exclaimed.

"Just help us, you rule the best empire that I know. You will serve as a powerful Queen in the future, but now we need aid from your military." The woman continued. Midori shook her head, "That's just all a bunch of bull. What you'll do is sacrifice my soldiers, and then what will my empire be? Certainly not as 'powerful' as you describe it. Fight off the Azurians on your own time, but if you ask me I hope they teach you a lesson." The woman's eyes grew intense and she began to raise her hand, " Princess Midori." She stated firmly, calming herself and lowering her hand, "We can't do that. Without your military help, it _can't be done_. All we need from you is a general, and a few hundred troops. Then we're set and steadily protected," Midori shook her head again and backed away a few steps, "I've made my decision Sayuri, no. Besides, my father's General is away with most of the troops clearing land south from here." Midori finished, and she turned away and walked silently back to her awaiting coach. 

The coach pulled away from the site pulled by brown horses that trotted gradually away through the green grasses. "Couldn't get her to do it, could you?" A low, nasty voice cackled from behind Sayuri. She turned and grimaced at the lizard face. "You would have done the same anyway, Skinflint." Skinflint circled around her with his lizard body, standing on two legs, his green eyes peering carefully around her. "Nori and I'll go and hunt down those savages, burn 'em alive and trash their village. You just wait here and remain sweet till I come back," He hissed, grinning at her and stroking her face with his scaly hand, which of course was pushed away quickly. "Just go, and tell Nori to come home, alive." Sayuri answered resentfully, and she turned away from him and walked to her black horse waiting nearby. "_I'll_ come back alive, with all those savages trailing behind in blood!" He called out as the black horse tore the colors of the beautiful fields. Then, he scampered off through the grasses. After slithering many miles from the ash pile formerly the campsite, Skinflint arrived at a separate set of tents. They appeared empty, olive green colored with medical supplies stacked hastily on the sides. 

Skinflint slithered into one of the middle tents and arrived in one completely filled almost to the brim with weapons. A man with a general's suit was inside, smoking a pipe and stroking his black, shiny hair a few times. "I think this will be enough. So, when will the rest of the troops be coming in?" The man said when he finally noticed Skinflint standing in the doorway. "There won't be any, sir." Skinflint reported solemnly. "Considering that Sayuri failed in using her eloquent way of speech. That princess Midori will be some tough business when old King Isamu passes on." "She refused! But how will we track them down?" General Nori exclaimed. Skinflint picked up one of the rifles, studied it, and then swung the front tip over his shoulder, "We'll manage. I'll go round up our soldiers and we'll be off."

"How many soldiers should we collect, though?" Nori asked, twitching his pipe in his mouth between his teeth and leaning against an ammo crate. "Well, last night I bet all of them came, there were about twenty seven or so of them. We'll take around forty, top that you and me, we are unbeatable." Skinflint smiled and turned around, his tail whipping away as he slithered out through the green grass again. He crawled into a few more of the tents, and in only a matter of seconds did he have around thirty- eight soldiers prepared for the journey that would end deep in the heart of the Azure Field Forest, but this detail was yet unknown. "Take this along too," Nori said. He stepped through the bundle of sturdy soldiers and handed Skinflint a rolled up document. "When will we need this? This is a map that shows Midori's empire, Boleyn. We're not planning on staying there, right?" Skinflint asked after carefully examining the paper and tucking it under his right arm. "But you see," Nori said as he took back the paper and pointed all around the little pictures of the town, "around Boleyn, further north actually, is the place where the Azurians usually flee to after an invasion. My plan is that we could march through there and sure enough we'll find them, all right." Skinflint took back the document and hissed, "No one has ever been that far! The map ends only a tenth of the real length that the Azurian Fields are! And if we get lost?" 

"Don't even worry, how could we possible get lost when those Fields are so wide?" General Nori chuckled, patting Skinflint on the shoulder and placing the map in a bag hanging on his side. "Align the second half of them up and we'll leave," 

Skinflint looked around frowning slightly. "Alright, let's go!" He heard Nori shout, and half of the soldiers started to follow. "Follow up, come on!" Skinflint's group started to move also, while he ran to catch up with Nori at the head of the group. 


	4. Chapter 4

"Well, at least it seems like it's going to be a warm night," Nori laughed. Skinflint rolled his eyes and looked back at the weary band of soldiers following behind. "And who would have known that there'd be a dark and never-ending _forest _blocking the way? Definitely not you!" Skinflint exclaimed. "It might be days until we arrive there at the pace that we're going now! Think about the attacks, they could hunt us down more easily!" "My father wouldn't have allowed this to happen General Nori, and the same goes for you Skinflint! Take us out of this horribly dark forest now! It's creepy, too long, and there isn't a single healthy looking bush where one can relieve himself in peace!" Kurai exclaimed, coming up from the gang of lonesome soldiers behind them. "And who invited you to come?" Skinflint asked. "None of your business. I'm only assuming that having me along will be the best thing. Once we reach wherever those savages live, I'll be able to claim it with my brand new flag!" Kurai answered joyously as she waved around a tall pole and attached to the top of it was a bright red and blue flag. 

The group trudged on through the desolate and dark uncharted forest. The weak songs of a few birds had just begun to ignite the fear already brought out by the forests blinding darkness. The trees had barely any leaves growing on the branches, and they increased in height the further on they walked. "Look," Skinflint pointed out suddenly, "I think I see some sort of water. It's a lake," "Oh good!" Kurai exclaimed. She ran through the dusty ground and slumped down upon her knees before cupping some fresh water into her hands. "This is perfect! Come drink this, oh my gosh, it's wonderful!" She exclaimed, splashing some on her face and then submerging her face in to take full gulps. "Let's stop here!" Nori shouted to the rest of the troops, and in a few seconds they all had assembled themselves peacefully along the lake. But they weren't the only ones there at the moment. The boy, around seventeen, glared down upon the strangers below for the last time before taking flight through the trees, which created the sound of rustling branches all throughout the area.

"Hey, you hear that?" One of the soldiers said softly, looking up from the water and searching frantically around the dark treetops. "It ain't nothing," Another soldier said. "Well if it ain't," the first one said as he picked himself up and looked over the others. "Then what the hell is that?" A bright light shimmered far away. It was gorgeous, the kind of light where only a clearing could be located within. "It's there! There's Ban Haro!" Another soldier cried. "What? What's Ban Haro?" Skinflint asked as he too looked at the light. " Ban Haro!" Nori said again, "The savage's home! Come on soldiers, let's attack now!" And the whole body of soldiers began to trample the forest towards the light, rifles and explosives ready for action.

As they came up upon the clearing, they were shocked to find a great, Wide River circling a very large patch of land just across the forest. It was there in that patch of land that the Azurians lived. Here, the sun was shining clearly and they could easily see that far more than twenty-seven Azurians inhabited the area, _far_ more than that. It was a beautiful village with it's own huts and rich scents that gave the soldiers a bit of a welcoming, at least for a while. "How are we going to get across there sir?" A soldier asked. Nori stepped up with the map in his hands. He unfolded it and began to search it as if he were looking for fingerprints. "Well this is some surprise, heck, we're sure lucky there ain't anyone around," _Swoosh! Swoosh! _"Damn it I spoke too fast!" Nori shouted, "Soldiers, fire!" From behind them, hidden by the dark trees, the Azurians began a heavy attack with arrows, striking many of the soldiers. "FIRE!" Kurai screamed at the top of her lungs as she ignited an explosive and shot it out. Suddenly the scene went wild as the Azurians shot out the same explosives as they had the night before. "RETREAT! RETREAT!" Nori screamed, scampering like a coward all around, not knowing where to hide. Kurai looked back in horror as the soldiers tried to dive into the water for protection. _Swoosh! Swoosh! _More of the arrows came down and the cries of the soldiers that were struck were not heard because of the terrible cries being released now. "Skinflint!" Kurai screamed as she saw him fire an explosive, which knocked two of the hiding Azurians out of the trees and rolling on the ground, burning alive. 

"**Kronex me Sian co ne!" **From the falling Azurians and the blazing trees, the most ugly looking woman stepped out from the chaos, only to cause more as she stopped. Her black robes swayed rapidly over her legs, which were covered by strings that patch worked themselves around her thighs until they reached a certain point. She had long, curly and bushy brown hair and her face was smiling, evil and dark. "Oh dear Lord," Nori whispered as he stared at the woman, who had begun to walk directly towards him. "Skinflint! Kurai!" He shouted, looking at them as they ran off together, "Wait for me!" And as soon as he cried out, the woman sprang like a mad woman and seized his throat. The two fell to the ground, Nori struggling to throw her off as she kept hitting his face. "Cursed witch, be gone!" He screamed. He took up his arm; flung up the sword she had on her side and made a great shot at her stomach. The woman's face grew pale, from white, to gray, and slowly, slowly, to black. "Ahhhhh!" She moaned, her black flesh smoking, and she pushed herself way back that it seemed as if she were floating quickly away. "Parthenope!" A young Azurian cried. He darted out from the fighting and looked at Nori with a glare. Sticking his hand to the sky, a silver sword unexplainably appeared, and he too darted towards Nori. "Skinflint help!" Nori screamed, but not in time. Skinflint was miles away already, and poor Nori had gotten his heart ripped out to shreds. 


	5. Chapter 5

It looked as if the entire army of soldiers had also lost their hearts. The leader of the clan stepped out from the trees and walked up to the young man, who was tenderly aiding the woman's wounded face. "What the heck happened to her?" He asked the boy. "It was those damn savages! Always wanting to take over our lands, Maigo, lucky for us that Lamya thought up of that sort of protection. Oh, and here," He said as he turned behind him and got out a folded paper. "Found this on the guy I killed, it's a map of their empire. At least that's what I hope." Maigo received the document and studied it as two others took up Parthenope's limp body. After further inspection, Maigo smiled and turned his blue eyes back to him, "Come on boys, we're going slayin'!" "We can't go without Parthenope! You know we can't go without at least one coming along," said another one of the young boys. He was sturdier looking than the first boy and his hair was one shade darker and his eyes were the same color as a piece of emerald. "But we don't have time to go all the way to Kaishma and tell Lamya what happened!" Maigo sighed, "And what if she doesn't let another Slayer come with us?" "She'll have to," The younger one said, "if this is how she wants us to be free from them, then we need some help." "Alright, but you be the one in front, not me, deal?" Maigo asked. "Fine with me," The young one answered.

"Princess," Sayuri said softly. She looked at Midori's turned back, stepping closer and placing her hand at her shoulder. "They're all dead?" Midori whimpered. "Nori and everyone, how could've the Azurians done so much damage like that?" Miyako's face was touched with sorrow as she stepped closer to Midori and turned fearfully to Sayuri and the bloodcurdling stranger watching her slyly. He looked up from glaring at the floor, but only to continue it behind Sayuri. Feeling his anger, she turned from Midori and walked back to him, "They're being led by some sort of dark force." She continued. "There was this demon in the form of a woman," Skinflint growled, "She looked like a Slayer." "A Slayer!" Midori exclaimed. She turned around and fearfully watched them both as they spoke. "Then they're cursed. The demon had been amongst them, fighting alongside of them right?" Sayuri asked. Skinflint grunted and nodded his head, "I'm only dreading that they're more of them. Who knows, the Azurians themselves could be cursed demons," "But that isn't possible!" Miyako cried, tears filling her soft blue eyes. She clutched Midori and wailed, "Then they'll kill us all! Slay us! Burn us alive for all I know! Midori, you can't let this happen!" Midori sighed and softly patted Miyako's head as she turned and took the weeping girl away. "Princess Midori!" Sayuri exclaimed, "You need to tell us what to do! What's the command?" Before reaching the first few steps of the staircase, Midori stopped and turned back sadly to them, "I can't say anything," She said shaking her head, "and I don't have a command, because I don't know what to do. You ignited this piece of hell yourselves, so _you _find a way to put it out." 


	6. Chapter 6

"Logan!" The youthful brown haired girl laughed. The young, gorgeous blonde boy who had been leading the victorious group of archers bit his lip nervously as the other men began to give teasing hoots. "Hey," He answered softly. "Geez, you guys were so quick! I saw almost everything and you were so fantastic! What happened? Did you kill anyone? Come tell me!" The girl's questions and joyous movements were a bit aggravating, but Logan grudgingly followed, or was forced to follow her back up the tiny hill and into her home. "Is Maurus home?" Logan asked hopefully. "Nope," Holly answered with a smile. "But I have something to give to you. It's a present from me," Logan sighed and took a seat at one of the chairs near the small, wood table in the middle of the room. Around the room were shelves of various kinds of containers that held liquids for purposes that were unknown to him. He inspected them cautiously and after planting his eyes on a jar filled with albino frog parts, he grimaced and turned back to Holly. "If you're wondering about those," she said, smoothing out her hair in the big glass mirror facing away from the table, "Sunil gave them to me. Some of them I made, and some she just discarded and offered them away. There are various kinds of them and all of them have a different affect. Want to see some?" "No thanks, but about the present?" Logan asked. "Oh yeah!" Holly shrieked. "Come with me!" She darted from the mirror and grabbed Logan's hand. "Where is it?" Logan asked. "Just come, it's in here!" Holly said. She dragged him up some small stairs to the second floor of the tiny house and opened an isolated, solemn looking door. It creaked open at a snails pace as she pulled him inside. 

"Here?" Logan looked around the empty room. "Where?" He stepped all around the room while Holly smiled triumphantly and waited patiently near the door until he stopped exploring. "Are you trying to upset me on purpose? What is this," Holly came up to him from behind and turned him around slowly. It was a tender and warm kiss. Holly closed her eyes and felt a great jump in her heart, but that was soon gone when Logan pushed her away awkwardly and gave her a callous look. After shaking his head at her, he turned away furiously and made way down the stairs. "How can I stand it!?" She cried as she ran to the top of the stairs and looked at him through tear-drenched eyes. "I'm sorry…but I had to feel what you're giving to Lamya." "What about Lamya?!" He exclaimed irritably. Holly crossed her arms and took two steps down the stairs, "What about Lamya? I know what you do with her when she asks you to go visit her in Kaishma! You're so sick Logan!" At this, Logan swung out his sword and flew back up the stairs. "Who did you tell?!" He asked. Holly grew fearful for a while, then frowned and pushed him one step down, "I didn't tell anyone. But if you're planning on me not telling, you might as well just kill me now," Logan looked down angrily. "Get going then!" Holly roared and pushed him downward. Logan proceeded down the stairs and left the small house. 

"She baked you something?" asked Alexander, Logan's best friend, when he saw him coming back from Holly's home. "No," Logan responded. "Was it an embroidery, or some kind of jewel? What did she give you?" Alexander insisted. "She gave me an eye opener," Logan answered. He began to walk away to a place where many people were crowding the area and busily walking this way and that, carrying food products around and large numbers of cloth and some cattle. Logan pushed through the crowd until he came to a man sitting near a fire, smoking a pipe and looking around. The man had a pair of jet-black wings coming from his back, and they looked demon-like, representing a Slayer. "How was the fight?" The man asked. Logan ignored the question and threw down a shining ruby at his feet. "Why didn't you come? You weren't there, and Holly hadn't seen you at all either." The man, Maurus, looked up with a surprised expression. He smiled slyly and took the ruby in his hands, "You aren't putting a move on my sis' are you Logan?" "Of course not!" Logan exclaimed in a heated mood, "You're sister's too young!" "Yeah, well I think Lamya's too _old_! Haha!" Irritated by the knowledge, Logan retrieved the ruby and threw it furiously against a nearby tree. On impact, it exploded and sent raining drops of hex magic to spread. "What the hell, was that my sword?!" Maurus cried. Logan gave him a glare and finally turned left and continued walking. The village air had been perfumed with various types of smells, and each gave out a strong desire upon the creature that was engulfed by it. Logan looked about the market area longingly until his curiosity gave in and he approached a tiny stall. Running the stall was a tiny Slayer girl, back turned to the opposite direction and curiously eyeing something in the ground. 

"Hey, little girl," Logan said softly. As Logan tried to tap her shoulder, the girl suddenly curved around and hissed as if the devil had just touched her. After a few breaths, she blinked up to see Logan staring at her with a bit of fear and curiosity in his eyes. She looked about twelve with dark red hair pulled up in a ponytail and adorned at the back by two yellow flowers. A crimson red shirt covered her chest and she had on a black skirt with black and white striped stockings. "Sorry, are you selling these?" He asked, as he looked down quickly at the ornaments below displayed on the wooden table. She looked at all of them too, then looked back up and nodded. "What, you want to buy?" The ornaments were both big and small, many shapes, most of them black or wine red. Logan nodded and kept studying the many kinds, but a blue gem near the far corner caught his eyes. But as he bent down to pick it up, the girls pale and icy cold hand snatched up his hand and she pulled him downward and hissed again. "You can't have that one! That's for Slayers only!" "What? Then what Slayer is it for?" Logan questioned her as she picked up the gem and gingerly placed it up on some shelves behind her, "I can't say cause I don't know who it's for," She looked at him seriously and then frowned, "Weren't you gonna buy anything?" "Oh, um, sure I guess." The other gems weren't too captivating as the blue gem had been, but he reluctantly chose a small red one and paid with a few gold coins.

Logan cupped the gem in his hand and looked at it thoroughly from time to time as he made his way through the rest of the structures that were either stalls or homes belonging to the people. "Logan, hey!" A female voice slipped into his ears and when he turned back, the young woman was already hurrying over to him. She was clothed poorly with tattered black rags that clearly exposed most of her pale body, including her legs, waist, shoulders, and arms. "By the way that you're hurrying, I'm expecting that you're going over to visit Lamya, right? I thought Alexander had told you about her," She said. Logan stopped and looked a bit confused, "Alex? What was he going to tell me? I didn't hear much, only that she created a batch of new Slayers." 

"Oh, she did, but that's not it. She came over from Kaishma and she's staying with Parthenope here in the village." 

"How come Alex didn't say anything? He had just talked to me a while ago," Logan recalled. The girl shrugged and smiled at him, "Forget him, you know he's a moron. Just go on over to her, she's only staying for a while and by chance she managed to get the other Slayers to come with her. By the way, nice handling the arch rings for Asherah, she really appreciated that." Logan nodded, "Sure, anytime. See ya." The girl waved goodbye and continued on her way.

"Look who's here! Come on in Logan!" At the sound of his name, the woman with colored black and white hair stood up suddenly from a chair and waited patiently as Logan looked at her shyly and said hello. "I wasn't expecting you, but I'm so glad you came!" The woman said cheerfully. Logan examined her face briefly and helped himself to a long, deep kiss from her. "I know what happened with Parthenope. Poor girl, she was really injured by that blade," she continued as she held him amorously. From the corner of the room a pale and dark little boy approached them feverishly. He was holding a powerful looking rapier and began to demonstrate his skill as he swayed it forward and side to side. "Which is why," he began, "Deviika and her dark crafters created this for you to use on the raid at Boylen. I've already given one to Alexander and then the last one I gave to Lee. Make sure you use it to trash that place entirely!" "We're going to do more than that, Duff!" a voice called out. "Like what?" Duff asked, looking up at a strange, catlike girl. She had a blue outfit with matching long blue hair and eyes. She screeched excitedly and began to prance around the room. 

"Gyrath! Shut up!" The blue haired girl stopped, frightened in her tracks as beautiful feminine words poured through the room. They all looked into the eyes of a fuming Sayuri and at her side was a fully recovered Parthenope, she too looking as hideous as ever. She soon smiled lovingly at the site of Logan. Lamya felt an uneasy desire waking up inside of Sayuri as she stood smiling at him. Frowning slightly, she turned to Logan once more and kissed him again, just to show Sayuri that she was still there. "Oh," Logan started before being consumed with the kiss. He closed his eyes and waited for the choking feeling in his throat to vanish before he cleared his throat and continued, "I, I have to go. I have to go somewhere with Alex and the clan. See you," "Bye," Lamya answered sweetly and watched the young boy as he made his way through the door. "He's so beautiful," said one of the many Slayers softly. "Yes," Lamya answered softly in a sigh, "but the feelings stopped just before they reached my heart."     

"What do you mean? I thought you liked him?" Duff asked. "I do, but lately I've realized that I can't have him the way I want to. Anyway," she answered seriously, "he's going to Boylen with Maigo and the rest of the clan. I want you Duff, Gyrath, and I guess I'll also send Trinity and Deviika along with them." "Don't forget that I'm going too," Parthenope spoke up. "Are you sure? You were wounded," Parthenope interrupted quickly, "I'm fine. Just let me go," Lamya nodded in agreement.


End file.
